Pope in plea for Christian unity

Pope Francis has appealed to the faithful to put divisions aside amid persecution and killings of Christians in parts of the world.

Francis told some 30,000 people in St. Peter’s Square today: “The blood of today’s martyrs makes us one.”

He cited the slaying of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by Islamic militants in Libya in February and said “those who hate Jesus Christ ….kill without asking” if the person is Catholic or belongs to another Christian church.

Francis asked: “If the enemy unites us in death, who are we to divide ourselves in life?”

He urged Christians to seek “unity in diversity of expression” through common prayer and charity.